The Set Up
by Anastasia Who
Summary: Sequel to Will you be There. Miss Parker was the bait, and Jarod took it. Will he be able to escape this time or did the Centre finally find his weakness?


_Disclaimer: I don't own the Pretender or any of the characters in the Pretender. I wish I did, but I don't._

_A/N: This is the sequel to my story 'Will You be There'. I would suggest reading that first because you won't understand this one very well if you don't. Enjoy and please review_.

**The Set Up**

Miss Parker opened her weary eyes as her phone rang. She checked the clock. It was 5:35 in the morning. She groaned and picked up the phone.

"What?" She screamed drowsily.

"Miss Parker, I'm sorry to wake you, but I thought you would want to know what I overheard."

"Broots?" Miss Parker asked unbelieving. "What the hell are you doing up at this time of morning?"

"Well, it's Mr. Lyle. He's been scheming something, so I decided to come back to the center and try to check up on some things."

"And?" Miss Parker said annoyed.

"Well, he was here, but he just left a few minutes ago."

"Cut to the chase, Broots."

"I happened to overhear him talking with Raines and he said that Jarod was playing right into their hands and the trap they had set had worked perfectly. Then Raines told him he knew Jarod wouldn't be far if he knew…" Broots hesitated

"Knew what, Broots?" Miss Parker asked, sitting up.

"If he knew that you were in danger." Broots finished.

Miss Parker's blood ran dry as she suddenly recalled the events of the night. Because of weariness, she had almost forgotten, but now the terrible nightmare hit her hard. Had it all been a set up? Was Jarod suppose to come and save her? Miss Parker felt sick to her stomach.

"Miss Parker, are you there?" Broots asked.

"What more did they say?" She finally managed.

"Lyle said he was on his way to your house to get Jarod. What's going on? Did Lyle set something up to trap him there?"

"When did he leave?" She asked quickly.

"About ten minutes ago."

"Damn it!" Miss Parker muttered. "I'll call you back, Broots. Wake Sydney and tell him what you told me." With that, Miss Parker slammed her phone down and leapt up. She raced into the other room and saw Jarod asleep on the couch. She cursed herself for what she was about to do, knowing that her job was to find and capture Jarod, but yet this one time knowing she couldn't possibly turn him in. He had saved her life, stayed with her the night, and comforted her without any thought to his own safety. Not even her cold stone heart could repay his kindness with betrayal. The irony of the situation was that she would let him get away today and tomorrow she would go right back to chasing him. She sighed. This was a one-time thing. Jarod had saved her life, now she would save his before letting things go back to normal. His act of kindness would change nothing else.

"Jarod, get up." She yelled in panic, knowing Lyle and the sweepers would be at her house any second.

Jarod opened his eyes and sat up. "Miss Parker, what's going…"

Jarod never finished his sentence. It was too late. Miss Parker's door suddenly flew open as Lyle and Willie, with guns in hand, rushed inside.

Jarod sprang into action. He leapt off her couch and ran into the other room, attempting to go out the back door. He saw two more sweepers running around back to try to corner him. Jarod drew in a deep breath, thinking fast. He swallowed hard and made one last attempt at escape. He ran towards a window that led to the side of Miss Parker's house. Lyle was right behind him, but without hesitation, the Pretender leapt at the window, rolling as he hit the ground. Stabs of pain assaulted him as pieces of the glass embedded themselves into his skin, but Jarod quickly leapt to his feet and started to run. He had barely even gotten up, however, before he was tackled back to the ground and strong hands began to hold him down.

"There's no where left to run, Jarod." Lyle said cockily.

Jarod looked up as he saw Lyle aiming his gun straight at him. Willie stood up pulling Jarod up with him.

"I knew you couldn't stay away if my sister was in danger." Lyle said with a smirk.

"You set her up!" Jarod spat venomously.

Lyle shrugged as if he couldn't care less. "It was necessary."

"You b!" Miss Parker shouted, having run outside to try to stop them. "You wouldn't have even cared if Jarod hadn't come and that murderer had raped me and took my life."

Lyle smirk again, a smile that was making Jarod hate him all the more. "We were counting on Jarod to show up and since he did there's no need to worry about what would, or wouldn't have happened."

Miss Parker slapped him across the face. "How dare you use me as if I'm no more than a piece of trash."

Lyle glared at her. "And how dare you betray the center and not turn Jarod in the moment you saw him. You were planning on letting him escape, weren't you?"

Miss Parker just glared at him.

Lyle turned to face Jarod, gloating in his victory. "I knew you would come, Jarod. Even you can make mistakes sometimes."

"You hired him to go to Miss Parker's house to threaten her life, knowing I would follow." Jarod seethed. "How clever?" Then an evil grin spread across Jarod's face. "Too bad for you, your victory won't last."

Lyle glared at him, but before he could say anything, policemen jumped out from behind the bushes. Their guns were drawn and in moments, Lyle and the other sweepers were surrounded.

"Drop your weapons!" One policeman said.

Lyle rolled his eyes, with a silent groan, raising his hands in the air. "This man is a wanted criminal."

"Funny, he said the same thing about you." The police officer said.

Willie let go of Jarod and dropped his gun to the floor. The police quickly restrained the sweepers and Lyle, cuffing their hands behind their backs.

"Good work, Jarod." The head officer said. "Your instincts were right about the convicts who helped the murderer escape."

Jarod looked at Lyle with a gloating smile. "I had a feeling they would show up here. Make sure you keep that one in tight custody."

"Jarod, order them to let me go right now." Lyle fumed. "We can work out a deal."

Jarod walked close to him and spoke soft enough so only Lyle could hear him. "You see I can't do that, because I'm not really a police officer."

Jarod turned around with a grin.

"You'll pay for this Jarod." Lyle threatened as he was pushed into the police car.

His threat didn't even faze Jarod. He simply looked at Miss Parker to speak to her.

"You knew it was the centre that sent him to kill me, didn't you?"

Jarod nodded. "I had the feeling. One of the guards that was on duty that night, hid as he heard gunshots. He didn't see much, but he did see a man that didn't have a thumb. After I put all the pieces together, I guessed it was a trap to capture me."

Miss Parker was silent for a moment, contemplating what he had said.

"But I knew I had to risk it." Jarod continued. "I knew Lyle would have let him hurt you if I didn't show up."

Miss parker looked up at him, swallowing hard.

"Just remember, these are the people you work for, Parker." Jarod said, sadness etched through every word.

"I have no choice, Jarod."

"You always have a choice."

"No, Jarod. You don't understand what I've been through."

Jarod gave her a saddened look. "You'd be surprised." His face changed immediately though, his smile masking all the pain in his heart. "But now we both have lives to live. So forgive me for having to do this. It will be better for you." Jarod said as he cuffed one of her hands to the railing on her porch.

"Jarod let me go!" She demanded.

"It's for your protection, Parker." Jarod told her.

Miss Parker sighed. She knew he was right. It would be easier this way to explain to the Centre how Jarod had escaped. She looked up at him as he began to walk off. "Jarod." She called. As he turned, she continued. "Good luck."

Jarod smiled and walked off towards the rising sun.


End file.
